The impact of psychopathic traits on anxiety-related behaviors in a mixed reality environment.
Journal
Scientific reports
ISSN: 2045-2322
Titre abrégé: Sci Rep
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101563288
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
23 05 2024
23 05 2024
Historique:
received:
09
02
2023
accepted:
16
05
2024
medline:
24
5
2024
pubmed:
24
5
2024
entrez:
23
5
2024
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
There is an ongoing debate about anxiety deficits in psychopathy and their possible impact on individual behavior. Data on actual anxiety- and threat-related behavior associated with psychopathy is still limited. We performed a mixed reality study using the elevated plus-maze (EPM) in a non-clinical sample (N = 160) to test anxiety-related behavior in relation to psychopathic personality traits measured through the Brief Questionnaire of Psychopathic Personality Traits (FPP). The psychopathy sum score correlated significantly with all measures of anxiety-related behavior on the EPM. Sensation seeking, but not general levels of acrophobia was moreover associated with psychopathic traits. Multivariate analyses revealed that the subscales Fearlessness and Lack of Empathy of the FPP predicted anxious behavior. Our findings are the first to demonstrate the relationship between psychopathic traits and actual behavior in an anxiety-inducing environment. This supports the low-anxiety hypothesis in psychopathy research. Implications for potentially harmful or risky behavior are discussed.
Identifiants
pubmed: 38782995
doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-62438-9
pii: 10.1038/s41598-024-62438-9
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
11832Informations de copyright
© 2024. The Author(s).
Références
Hare, R. D. The manual for the hare psychopathy checklist-revised (Multi-Health Systems, Incorporated, 2003).
Hare, R. D. & Neumann, C. S. The role of antisociality in the psychopathy construct: Comment on Skeem and Cooke. Psych. Ass. 22(2), 446–454 (2010).
doi: 10.1037/a0013635
Cleckley, H. M. The mask of sanity (Mosby, 1941).
Cleckley, H. M. The mask of sanity 5th edn. (Mosby, 1976).
Fowles, D. C. The three arousal model: Implications of gray’s two-factor learning theory for heart rate electrodermal activity and psychopathy. J. Psychophysiol. 17(2), 87–104. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.1980.tb00117.x (1980).
doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1980.tb00117.x
Lykken, D. T. The antisocial personalities (Psychology Press, 1995).
Lykken, D. T. A study of anxiety in the sociopathic personality. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 55, 6–10 (1957).
pubmed: 13462652
Hare, R. D. Psychopathy and electrodermal responses to nonsignal stimulation. Biol. Psychol. 6(4), 237–246. https://doi.org/10.1016/0301-0511(78)90026-1 (1978).
doi: 10.1016/0301-0511(78)90026-1
pubmed: 708810
Hare, R. D., Frazelle, J. & Cox, D. N. Psychopathy and physiological responses to threat of an aversive stimulus. Psychophysiol 15, 165–172. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.1978.tb01356.x (1978).
doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1978.tb01356.x
Lilienfeld, S. O. & Andrews, B. P. Development and preliminary validation of a self- report measure of psychopathic personality traits in noncriminal populations. J. Pers. Assess. 66, 488–524 (1996).
doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa6603_3
pubmed: 8667144
Patrick, C. J., Bradley, M. M. & Lang, P. J. Emotion in the criminal psychopath: Startle reflex modulation. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 102, 82–92 (1993).
doi: 10.1037/0021-843X.102.1.82
pubmed: 8436703
Neumann, C. S., Johansson, P. T. & Hare, R. D. The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), low anxiety, and fearlessness: A structural equation modeling analysis. Pers. Disord. Theory Res. Treat. 4(2), 129–137. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027886 (2013).
doi: 10.1037/a0027886
Salekin, R. T., Leistico, A. R., Trobst, K. K., Schrum, C. L. & Lochman, J. E. Adolescent psychopathy and personality theory—the interpersonal circumplex: Expanding evidence of a nomological net. J. Abnorm. Child Psychol. 33, 445–460 (2005).
doi: 10.1007/s10802-005-5726-Y
pubmed: 16118991
Schmitt, W. A. & Newman, J. P. Are all psychopathic individuals low-anxious?. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 108(2), 253–358 (1999).
doi: 10.1037/0021-843X.108.2.353
Anderson, N. E., Widdows, M., Maurer, J. M. & Kiehl, K. A. Clarifying fearlessness in psychopathy: An examination of thrill-seeking and physical risk-taking. J. Psychopathol. Behav. Assess. 43(1), 21–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-020-09847-y (2021).
doi: 10.1007/s10862-020-09847-y
pubmed: 33814695
Hoppenbrouwers, S. S., Bulten, B. H. & Brazil, I. A. Parsing fear: A reassessment of the evidence for fear deficits in psychopathy. Psychol. Bull. 142(6), 573–600. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul000004 (2016).
doi: 10.1037/bul000004
pubmed: 26854867
Sylvers, P., Lilienfeld, S. O. & LaPrairie, J. L. Differences between trait fear and trait anxiety: Implications for psychopathology. Clin. Psychol. Rev. 31, 122–137 (2011).
doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2010.08.004
pubmed: 20817337
Grillon, C. Models and mechanisms of anxiety: Evidence from startle studies. Psychopharmacology 199, 421–437. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-007-1019-1 (2008).
doi: 10.1007/s00213-007-1019-1
pubmed: 18058089
Derefinko, K. J. Psychopathy and low anxiety: Meta-analytic evidence for the absence of inhibition, not affect. J. Pers. 83, 693–709. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12124 (2015).
doi: 10.1111/jopy.12124
pubmed: 25130868
Cooper, A. B. & Guynn, R. W. Transcription of fragments of lectures in 1948 by Harry Stack Sullivan. Psychiatry Interpers. Biol. Processes 69, 101–106 (2006).
doi: 10.1521/psyc.2006.69.2.101
Gray, J. A. & McNaughton, N. The neuropsychology of anxiety 2nd edn. (Oxford University Press, 2000).
Gillespie, S. M., Mitchell, I. J., Satherley, R.-M., Beech, A. R. & Rotshtein, P. Relations of distinct psychopathic personality traits with anxiety and fear: Findings from offenders and non-offenders. PLoS ONE https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0143120 (2015).
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143120
pubmed: 26694930
pmcid: 4687914
Öhman, A. Fear and anxiety: Overlaps and dissociations. In Handbook of emotions 3rd edn (eds Lewis, M. et al.) 709–729 (Guilford Press, 2008).
Patrick, C. J. Emotion and psychopathy: Startling new insights. Psychophysiol 31(4), 319–330. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.1994.tb02440.x (1994).
doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1994.tb02440.x
Vaidyanathan, U., Hall, J. R., Patrick, C. J. & Bernat, E. M. Clarifying the role of defensive reactivity deficits in psychopathy and antisocial personality using startle reflex methodology. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 120(1), 253–258. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021224 (2011).
doi: 10.1037/a0021224
pubmed: 20973594
pmcid: 3030683
Thomson, N. D. et al. Physiological reactivity in response to a fear-induced virtual reality experience: Associations with psychopathic traits. Psychophysiol 56, e13276. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13276 (2019).
doi: 10.1111/psyp.13276
Schultz, D. H., Balderston, N. L., Baskin-Sommers, A. R., Larson, C. L. & Helmstetter, F. J. Psychopaths show enhanced amygdala activation during fear conditioning. Front. Psychol. 7, 348. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00348 (2016).
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00348
pubmed: 27014154
pmcid: 4785144
Anderson, N. E. & Stanford, M. S. Demonstrating emotional processing differences in psychopathy using affective ERP modulation. Psychophysiol 49(6), 792–806. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.2012.01369.x (2012).
doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2012.01369.x
Carmen Pastor, M., Moltó, J., Vila, J. & Lang, P. J. Startle reflex modulation, affective ratings and autonomic reactivity in incarcerated Spanish psychopaths. Psychophysiol 40(6), 934–938. https://doi.org/10.1111/1469-8986.00111 (2003).
doi: 10.1111/1469-8986.00111
Esteller, À., Poy, R. & Moltó, J. Deficient aversive-potentiated startle and the triarchic model of psychopathy: The role of boldness. Biol. Psychol. 117, 131–140 (2016).
doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.03.012
pubmed: 27033014
Birbaumer, N. et al. Deficient fear conditioning in psychopathy: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 62(7), 799–805. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.62.7.799 (2005).
doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.62.7.799
pubmed: 15997022
Anderson, N. E. & Kiehl, K. A. The psychopath magnetized: Insights from brain imaging. TiCS 16(1), 52–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2011.11.08 (2012).
doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2011.11.08
Budhani, S., Richell, R. A. & Blair, R. J. R. Impaired reversal but intact acquisition: Probabilistic response reversal deficits in adult individuals with psychopathy. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 115(3), 552–558. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.115.3.552 (2006).
doi: 10.1037/0021-843X.115.3.552
pubmed: 16866595
Larson, C. L. et al. The interplay of attention and emotion: Top-down attention modulates amygdala activation in psychopathy. CABN 13(4), 757–770 (2013).
pubmed: 23712665
Centifanti, L. C. M., Gillespie, S. M. & Thomson, N. D. Skin conductance responses to a discrete threat in virtual reality: Associations with psychopathy and anxiety. J. Psychopathol. Behav. Assess. 44(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-021-09943-7 (2022).
doi: 10.1007/s10862-021-09943-7
pubmed: 35221465
Fanti, K. A. Understanding heterogeneity in conduct disorder: A review of psychophysiological studies. Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev. Adv. Online Publ. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.09.022 (2018).
doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.09.022
Raine, A. The psychopathology of crime: Criminal behavior as a clinical disorder (Academic Press, 1993).
doi: 10.1016/B978-0-08-057148-5.50005-8
Carobrez, A. P. & Bertoglio, L. J. Ethological and temporal analyses of anxiety-like behavior: The elevated plus-maze model 20 years on. Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev. 29(8), 1193–1205 (2005).
doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2005.04.017
pubmed: 16084592
Rodgers, R. J. & Dalvi, A. Anxiety, defence and the elevated plus-maze. Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev. 21(6), 801–810 (1997).
doi: 10.1016/S0149-7634(96)00058-9
pubmed: 9415905
Walf, A. & Frye, C. The use of the elevated plus maze as an assay of anxiety-related behavior in rodents. Nat. Protoc. 2, 322–328. https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2007.44 (2007).
doi: 10.1038/nprot.2007.44
pubmed: 17406592
pmcid: 3623971
Wall, P. M. & Messier, C. Methodological and conceptual issues in the use of the elevated plus-maze as a psychological measurement instrument of animal anxiety-like behavior. Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev. 25(3), 275–286. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0149-7634(01)00013-6 (2001).
doi: 10.1016/s0149-7634(01)00013-6
pubmed: 11378181
Biedermann, S. V. et al. An elevated plus-maze in mixed reality for studying human anxiety-related behavior. BMC Biol. 15(1), 125. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-017-0463-6 (2017).
doi: 10.1186/s12915-017-0463-6
pubmed: 29268740
pmcid: 5740602
Biedermann, S. V., Roth, L., Biedermann, D. & Fuss, J. Reliability of repeated exposure to the human elevated plus-maze in virtual reality: Behavioral, emotional, and autonomic responses. Behav. Res. Methods. 56(1), 1–12 (2022).
doi: 10.3758/s13428-022-02046-5
Zuckerman, M., Eysenck, S. & Eysenck, H. J. Sensation seeking in England and America: Cross-cultural, age, and sex comparisons. J Consult. Clin. Psychol. 46(1), 139–149. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-006x.46.1.139v (1978).
doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.46.1.139v
pubmed: 627648
Cohen, D. C. Comparison of self-report and overt-behavioral procedures for assessing acrophobia. Behav. Ther. 8(1), 17–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(77)80116-0 (1977).
doi: 10.1016/S0005-7894(77)80116-0
Etzler, S. & Rohrmann, S. The development and preliminary validation of a brief questionnaire of psychopathic personality traits. Front. Psychol. 8, 1471. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01471 (2017).
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01471
pubmed: 28928687
pmcid: 5591858
Nouri, S. et al. Effects of circulating estradiol on physiological, behavioural, and subjective correlates of anxiety: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Psychoneuroendocrinology 138, 105682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105682 (2022).
doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105682
pubmed: 35123210
Hemmerich, W. (2019). StatistikGuru: Median-Split Rechner. Retrieved from https://statistikguru.de/rechner/median-split-berechnen.html
Newman, J. P. & Kosson, D. S. Passive avoidance learning in psychopathic and nonpsychopathic offenders. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 95, 252–256. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.95.3.252 (1986).
doi: 10.1037/0021-843X.95.3.252
pubmed: 3745647
Blair, R. J. R. et al. Passive avoidance learning in individuals with psychopathy: Modulation by reward but not by punishment. Pers. Individ. Dif. 37, 1179–1192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2003.12.001 (2004).
doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2003.12.001
Book, A., Visser, B. & Wattam, T. The effect of fear-inducing stimuli on risk taking in people with psychopathic traits. Cogn. Emot. 36, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2022.2106944 (2022).
doi: 10.1080/02699931.2022.2106944
Moffitt, T. E., Caspi, A., Harrington, H. & Milne, B. J. Males on the life-course-persistent and adolescence-limited antisocial pathways: Follow-up at age 26 years. Dev. Psychopathol. 14, 79–207 (2002).
doi: 10.1017/S0954579402001104
Polier, G. G., Vloet, T. D., Herpertz-Dahlmann, B., Laurens, K. R. & Hodgins, S. Comorbidity of conduct disorder symptoms and internalising problems in children: Investigating a community and a clinical sample. Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 21, 31–38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-011-0229-6 (2012).
doi: 10.1007/s00787-011-0229-6
pubmed: 22094720
Goodwin, R. D. & Hamilton, S. P. Lifetime comorbidity of antisocial personality disorder and anxiety disorders among adults in the community. Psychiatry Res. 117, 159–166 (2003).
doi: 10.1016/S0165-1781(02)00320-7
pubmed: 12606017
Lenzenweger, M. F., Lane, M. C., Loranger, A. W. & Kessler, R. C. DSM-IV personality disorders in the national comorbidity survey replication. Biol. Psychiatry. 62, 553–564 (2007).
doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.09.019
pubmed: 17217923
pmcid: 2044500
Sareen, J., Stein, M. B., Cox, B. J. & Hassard, S. T. Understanding comorbidity of anxiety disorders with antisocial behavior: Findings from two large community surveys. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. 192, 178–186 (2004).
doi: 10.1097/01.nmd.0000116460.25110.9f
pubmed: 15091298
Daniel-Watanabe, L. & Fletcher, P. C. Are fear and anxiety truly distinct?. Biol. Psychiatry Glob. Open Sci. 2(4), 341–349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.09.006 (2021).
doi: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.09.006
pubmed: 36324663
pmcid: 9616241
Beckers, T. et al. Understanding clinical fear and anxiety through the lens of human fear conditioning. Nat. Rev. Psychol. 2(4), 233–245. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-023-00156-1 (2023).
doi: 10.1038/s44159-023-00156-1
pubmed: 36811021
pmcid: 9933844
Hamm, A. O. Fear, anxiety, and their disorders from the perspective of psychophysiology. Psychophysiology 57(2), e13474. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13474 (2020).
doi: 10.1111/psyp.13474
pubmed: 31529522
Bach, B. & First, M. B. Application of the ICD-11 classification of personality disorders. BMC Psychiatry 18, 351. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1908-3 (2018).
doi: 10.1186/s12888-018-1908-3
pubmed: 30373564
pmcid: 6206910
Fazel, S., Hayes, A. J., Bartellas, K., Clerici, M. & Trestman, R. Mental health of prisoners: Prevalence, adverse outcomes, and interventions. Lancet. Psychiatry 3(9), 871–881. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30142-0 (2016).
doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30142-0
pubmed: 27426440
pmcid: 5008459
Alford, M., O’Rourke, S., Doyle, P. & Todd, L. Examining the factors associated with impulsivity in forensic populations: A systematic review. Aggress. Violent Behav. 54, 101409 (2020).
doi: 10.1016/j.avb.2020.101409
International Society for Research on Impulsivity. (2019). What is impulsivity. Retrieved from http://www.impulsivity.org/index.htm
Snowden, R. J. & Gray, N. S. Impulsivity and psychopathy: Associations between the Barratt impulsivity scale and the psychopathy checklist revised. Psychiatry Res. 187, 414–417 (2011).
doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2011.02.003
pubmed: 21377739
Strickland, J. C. & Johnson, M. W. Rejecting impulsivity as a psychological construct: A theoretical, empirical, and sociocultural argument. Psychol. Rev. 128(2), 336–361. https://doi.org/10.1037/rev0000263 (2021).
doi: 10.1037/rev0000263
pubmed: 32969672